How To Save Money On Toilet Paper

How To Save Money On Toilet Paper

From: Dana

I am having a really hard time figuring out how to calculate the best buy on toilet paper. Do you have any suggestions about the best way to figure this out (e.g. per sheet, square feet)? I have worn myself out trying to decide the best way to figure this out. Any suggestions?

Frankly I gave up on figuring it out! We now buy Ultra Charmin Mega Rolls and just try to buy it when it’s on sale. Why? Well, I hate the cheap stuff. You have to use twice as much so your hands don’t get wet (sorry for the vivid details :-).

We teach the kids to use less. This is the best way to save money on toilet paper. With my 6 year old, we said, “You need 4 squares to wipe,” so now he counts and knows not to yank off a huge amount. This is one area I try to “just let it go”. Life is too short to be yelling at hubby to use less if I think he is using more TP than he needs to.

-Tawra

Dana,

When you calculate, I would just consider number of sheets per roll. Square feet is too confusing and doesn’t really matter. Some stores, like Wal-Mart now have tags that break it down to show you the actual comparison so it’s easier to calculate.

-Mike

I have always used expensive toilet paper. I have calculated the cost over the years ( 200 sheets of 2 ply = 400 sheets compared to 300 sheets of 1 ply= 300 sheets. If they are both the same price, then the first is the best deal) and it pays to buy the expensive brand.

Here are some reasons to use more expensive toilet paper:

Most people use twice as much of the cheap toilet paper so they won’t get their hands dirty.

Using too much cheap toilet paper can clog some toilets. My uncle the plumber said that a good portion of his calls were to unplug toilets clogged with toilet paper, especially in homes with teenage boys and husbands. If you have this problem, I recommend asking your husband to be more careful, especially if you are the one having to clean up the mess. Sometimes the problem isn’t that you have a bad toilet but the wrong toilet paper and a wadding husband, so cheap toilet paper can get to be very expensive. (Mike: Heyyy… I sense an awful lot of “dumping” on husbands here!) (Jill the mother in law – if the shoe fits???:)

The Best Solution

Teach all members of the family to fold their toilet paper instead of wadding it. This may seem like an embarrassing thing to do but if you are serious about saving money and TP, you will do it.

If, when you pull the paper, it comes flying off the roll, fix the toilet paper holder. Adjust it so it won’t spin quite so fast.

Another way to help teach to use the right amount is on the wall where the toilet paper roll, roll down how much the kids should use and mark a line on the wall where it stops or mark with a piece of tape. Of course this is not set in stone but just gives a guideline to young kids (and some adults)

Most families who “wad” use 50% to 75% more toilet paper than those who fold. Once again, using just the right amount will save money.

Boy, when we say we cover how to save money in all areas of your life on our web site we aren’t kidding, are we? : ) : )

-Jill

For more easy and practical ways to save money and get out of debt, check out Dig out Of Debt and learn more about how to keep more of your money.

Jill and Tawra, This is darn good advice. I agree 100% with the folding. I have problems with my DH. AND also with my sons when they were living with us. One day I “got tired of it” and started using my own “personal” roll. My DH used the roll on the spindle. He went through 2 rolls to my 1. Now anatomically speaking, wouldn’t you think it would have been the other way around. Even after I told him of my “test” he wouldn’t change. It is irritating, but not worth fighting with him over it.

The savings on my part vs the waste on DH part goes into my charity fund. Actually I find it funny to think that part of the free mammograms for disadvantaged women that I fund come from toilet paper savings. LOL

After trying most brands I have been using the same one for many years now. It is SCOTT Brand, 1000 sheets (Not the soft etc.., regular tp) per roll. Last WAY longer than the others!! I wait till they go on sale check your Sunday paper circulars like Kmart, Target etc.. They usually are on sale for like 2 for $11.00 for the 12 pack. And I almost always have a coupon for an additional $1.00 off.

But, the best thing I did is buy flushable wipes for my husband and boys, cheapo generic ones. They use one instead of tons of tp. I always had that clogged toilet from too much tp with my boys now with the wipes NO more clogs

Melody…I too use Scott 1000 sheet, 1ply. It is safe for all systems and really DOES last longer. I also have used Dollar General’s version of the same product..( 1000 sheets, 1ply ) and it lasts just as long. I buy either only when ON SALE, and/or with coupons. Dollar General usually has their brand on sale for $5.00 for a bulk package ( I believe it’s 8 or 12 rolls…don’t remember, currently working on a stockpile of Scott’s, but due to pick up more! ) I’ve had family members “complain” of my “hard” TP…my comments to them…your only visiting. You want expensive TP…bring your own! When YOU buy my paper products..then you can get what you will..MY budget likes Scott!!

I agree with Melody and Maryanne – Scott 1000 sheet, 1 ply toilet paper is the best! It just lasts FOREVER. Before I discovered this, I bought cheaper TP, and it seemed the rolls would be empty so very quickly. I thought I was saving money by buying inexpensive TP. Then my thrifty sister told me about Scott, and that was the last time I ever bought anything else. Scott is more expensive than other TP, but it is SO worth every penny. I hardly have to buy TP now – and I’ll never buy any TP other than Scott again.

in my survey that i did with my family.. it didnt matter if we used the expensive rolls or the cheap rolls.. we still used the same amt… but i did notice that with the thicker kind, we did tend to use a bit more.. not sure why tho…
and bc of this, the cheapest i could find was the best deal for us…
my son in law “MUST” have the expensive kind or else well or else he is just tooo funny to post.. hehehehe :D… he thinks he has “issues” with that part of his body.. personally i think its all in his head! 😀 hhehehe :D…
my friend on the other had tested her family like i did and well she came up the same results.. so now she buys the expensive kind and just separates the 2 ply.. thus getting 2 for 1 deals!…
i think that is just too much work and well yes it might save some pennies.. so i just buy the cheap brand…
and yes jill i agree wiht you.. you arent kidding when you said you cover all areas to save money… hehehehehehhehee 😀
rose 😀

I will never use Charmin, but I’ve been advised by three different plumbing companies that it is the absolute worst paper you can use for your plumbing system. When the plumber snaking your main line drain tells you that you’re paying for the service because you use Charmin, it’s a real eye-opener!

The way that I calculate what’s a good toilet paper cost is simple. I look at the square footage of paper in the package, not the ply or the other numbers – just the square footage. Then I compare it to the price. I have determined that a penny a square foot is a good deal on bathroom tissue. So, therefore, if it’s got 500 square feet in the package, I’m wanting to pay $5.00 for it. If it’s less than that, it’s definitely a deal and I will probably stock up. This works well for me, and it’s very easy to remember!

We were using Charmin too. Then the plumber told us to use the Costco/Kirkland brand, because it breaks down the best. That makes it better for your plumbing and Septic. So, that’s what we us. It’s soft enough for everyone.

My aunt was constantly having problems with massive clogs and back ups in her plumbing lines until her plumber told her to quit using Cottonelle toilet paper because the cotton fibers don’t break down fast enough. He told her it was like flushing fabric down the toilet. She quit using it and the clogging problem ceased.

We have solved most of our using to much TP by making the rule of “you clog it, you plunge it!” This was great insentive for the kids to pay attention to how much they were using. My kids range in age from 7-12, and they are all (usually) able to plunge with a little effort–and they clean up any that went over.

shortly after getting married years ago, my husband and I moved into his parents rental house and started on what would turn out to be a horrid remodel experence. within a month of the move and while still under construction our sewer pipes backed up into all the working drains in the house! we had a plumber out and like in the previous post, we told that our problem was due to the use of charmin. my in-laws used it no matter the price because it was their preference but it cost us dearly. I have used angel soft since then. its about the best deal and now they have it in double rolls and that saves me putting a new roll on the tp holder! its also septic tank friendly and can be used while camping with no ill effect.

I enjoyed your comment about the men and teenaged boys using too much toilet paper. However, I think girls can be just as bad…when my teenaged niece lived at home (I live with my sister, her mother) I had to plunge the toilet or clean the toilet paper out of the toilet by hand (using gloves of course!) at least once a week. She would complain that the tiolet would not flush or it kept overflowing!!No amount of talking could pursuade her to use less paper. Thankfully she now lives in her own apartment and I wonder if she still has this problem…Sorry if this is a little gross but thank you for letting me express a problem that I though was particular only to teenaged girls!!!

The math approach doesn’t work too well with TP because of the other variables involved, like thickness, absorbency, softness, etc. We have a septic system so “septic safe” is a must. I have severe allergies and have only been able to use Scott’s 1000 sheet (original) for years, but recently the only store around me that carried it discontinued it! I have found a store brand (I think), HomeLife, available at County Market, that is septic safe, trouble-free for me, and actually lasts a bit longer. At 60% of the cost of Scott’s, too. Whoopee! My best friend’s family is hooked on Charmin and they have the plumber out 3 or 4 times a year!

I used Scott 1000 for years when I lived in Florida as I was raising three boys. One of my friend’s told me I would save money because it is a great TB and even though not as thick and cushy as Charmin, it is sturdy enough and sufficient. She also said it breaks down well and it did.

When we used Charmin, our toilet would ALWAYS clog. I was fed up and that is why we ended up having the TP conversation in the first place. Eventually, I found a Dollar General brand that is extremely close to Scott and we have been using that for years. NO CLOGS! It works fine and I agree with the folding. Also, no nasty stuff on your hands. lol

There is more than one DG brand. It is the brand with the little white dog on it that looks like a Scottie. However, you can try others. It doesn’t hurt to experiment and find the one that is best for you and your family. In my case, it may not be the thick cushy soft type but, it is not rough and scratchy like public TP in England. It has definitely, without a doubt, saved me money over the years coupled with no clogging and it works!

Rebecca,
Same here~~much too “linty” for me. Not only for personal reasons but if you use Charmin~~take a look around your TP Holder~~white dust everywhere! I never have liked it or used it but my Mom did until I convinced her~~also it was clogging her toilets also.
I have recently found at Dollar General (Dollar Stores) a 4 pk TP~~their Brand~~might be similar to Scott’s origional~~(not sure) but it is around $3.00 & I have found it to last longer.
I also agree~~Dh uses twice as much as I do. I used a seperate roll also & proved that.
Love this site blg & also love the comments posted in each posts~~they really add a lot of info.
Hugs & Blessings,
Pam

I agree Scott brand last longer I used in for years in my janitorial company because we had it change in less often. In also works best for sewer tanks. How to caculate how much to buy. Buy 2.5 rolls a week per woman and 1.5 per men. But keep extra on hand when people get sick. I always stock up because in the late seventies or early eighties there was a paper strike and we had to use the cheap stuff in the buildings I did not have a three month supply in.

It is funny how we all have different ideas on toilet paper. See I use the expensive brand and 1 roll lasts me more then a week and I am home 24/7. I really still think it is not so much the toilet paper itself but using it proper by folding. This is not relating to Karen’s comment but common sense would tell you if you use 4 folded squares compared to 15 wadded squares you are using more. So really what ever brand you prefer start folding and you will use less. I guess why I don’t like cheaper is I have to fold 8-12 squares for it to work for me where the more expensive I only need four and that is how I usually judge it. Plus I guess I am delicate because I like my paper to be soft.: )

Fuuny-I was just having this conversation with a clerk in my store about which TP was the best buy. I had picked up a couple of brands that said they had the same amt. of sheets, number of plys, etc. I noticed, though, that one of the packages of HEAVIER than the other. The clerk went to weigh them, because he was curious, too. It was true-the one brand was almost 1/2 lb. heavier, which clearly meant the buyer was getting more TP for the same price. I now pay attention to the total weight, as well as the price.

I’ve been using Huggies baby wipes for myself for a long time,feel cleaner with them. The cheap baby wipes don’t work nearly as well. We have also used Angel Soft bath tissue for years with no problems with the plumbing, the bathroom plumbing, and our own. LOL Bonnie

I used to use Aldi brand, then they changed suppliers. Now the paper is loose on the roll and there is not as much. It is no longer a good deal. I am on the hunt for affordable tp that lasts like the former Aldi brand did.

We were using plain old SCOTT but they changed it to a more fluffy brand. We have to be super conservative with tp in our home due to a very poorly built septic system. that plus 4 kids, not fun bathroom time. Anyway, I switched to a brand called Pert. It’s pretty comparable to Scott in sq.ft, and seems to be fine for everyone. We’ll see

I feel sorry for Charmin. All of you are so down on it. I have used it for years with NO problems what so ever. I dont stay in the bathroom rolling off tissue all day so I dont consider I use that much. Not many people even have septic tanks any more and Charmin seems to go right down the drain with no problems.

Linda I love Charmin and that is the only kind I too have used for years. When Tawra and Mike was first married he insisted that Scott was the only kind to use and Tawra wouldn’t go near it so for a long time they always had to rolls of toilet paper out – one for him and one for her. But now Mike is completely won over and I don’t think he likes Scott at all any more.
I don’t understand either wanting to unroll a ton of paper and then usually the wet goes all the way through no matter how much you use of it compared to using a little of Charmin and it holding up.

A tip I learned a long time ago from somewhere to help keep the toilet paper from spinning off the roll so fast is to lay the toilet paper on it’s side and “flatten” it so that the tube is no longer perfectly round, but is more crimped and won’t turn as easily on the dispenser. Works every time!

We buy our tp at Sam’s Club. It is a box of 40 double rolls, 2 ply and costs $18. We are a family of two adults and one child, and this box lasts us about 6 months! We have been buying this for two years now, and wont buy anything else!

I bet that’s the same as the WalMart ‘knock-off” of Charmin. I LOVE that stuff! (it has a creepy looking stuffed rabbit on the front. lol)
I grew up in a house where Scott brand was ALL my dad would buy. Once I got old enough to need toilet paper for more that just “1 & 2″ it was horrid. It’s just too thin. We would BEG him to spend a little more on the softer/thicker stuff but he would NOT budge! So we just had to deal with it because it was the only option.
One day, after I was already an adult (but still living at home w/my parents), my dad started randomly buying Charmin! I guess his skin got sensitive in his “old age” lol. Anyway, it was a VAST improvement from Scott for me, but I found it “linty” as well. And when any of my nieces and nephews came over, I would CRINGE at the amount they would use! It was SO unnecessary. I mean, 4 squares of Charmin is like 30 of Scott! lol
2 of my nieces would laugh at me because I told their youngest sister (who was only 4) that she should only use 4 squares, because that was all she needed. (Imagine my surprise at reading another woman’s comment about saying the same thing! lol) By the way, my dad’s rule of thumb (for any tp), is roll enough till it hits the floor and not a square more.(in our home bathroom of course, not a public one!). I find that’s too much with the thicker stuff, but probably ok for our Scott days…
Anyway, I moved out, and found that I couldn’t afford Charmin. And really, I don’t like their soft one because it’s DEFINITELY “linty” but the strong one wasn’t very soft. So me and my budget looked for an alternative. I tried Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Kroger, and then Angel, Quilted Northern… I think I even returned to Scott (but only ONCE!) They were too thin, too soft, too rough, too expensive…
Then I discovered the WalMart brand. Now truthfully, I HATE WalMart. At least the ones in my area. I used to love it, but now they have too many people, not enough checkers, and the layout it irritating. But somehow I found myself at a WalMart and decided to try their brand. I wasn’t sure which to try, so I got a small pack of the soft version (blue label), which I didn’t like it. And at the same time, a small pack of the strong version – (it’s a red label, like the Charmin strong packs) Which is WONDERFUL! It’s softer than Charmin’s strong, but not as soft as the soft, so NO lint, NO wet hands, and I’ve never had my toilet clogged from any toilet paper, so I don’t really know how it would fare in each of yours. But I love it! and it’s a few dollars cheaper than the Charmin packs of the same qty/ply/sqft. Now my only dilemma is that I have to go to WalMart to get more. 😛 But, I’m one person and a 12 pack lasts me forever!

I always used to buy the cheap stuff because it didn’t have perfume in it.
Why do you need to perfume yourself there? And the paper is going down the drain anyway.
I buy Presidents Choice TP because it comes in double rolls has no perfume and the package fits in behind my clothes basket in the bathroom within reach of the hands of the person on the toilet when husband forgets to replace the roll.
One pack of 16 costs about $12. and that is a good price for our area.
Ann Landers once wrote a column about which way the paper should come off the roll. You would not believe how many months that column was repeated. My thought was “Who cares” as long as somebody changes the roll.

It’s funny you should mention that (what direction the TP goes) Grandma. When my husband and I first were married I thought you just put the paper on the roller but that was what we had our first married fight about. My husband said it should roll over the top. I looked at him like he had grown 2 heads and we started in. I finally decided something so trivial was not worth fighting over and gave in. For 40 plus years I have now rolled it over the top. For years we would laugh at how silly that fight was over TP.

I like it rolling over the top, but when you have toddlers that like to see things spin, it’s time to have it roll the other way. It’s harder for them to spin it into a pile on the floor when it rolls down the back.

When a company prints logos or novelty words on their paper, you have to roll over the top or, the printing will be upside down! Also, when you roll over the top, the paper is 2-4 inches closer to your reach! Bottom line…TP and it’s holder is made to roll over the top with the tail closest to you!

Archie Bunker had that same argument with Michael on “All In The Family.” I love old show re-runs and Archie cracks me up. Archie said over the top and Michael accidently did bottom of the roll. They fought over that kind of silliness all the time which was funny.

To answer Linda, I think she would be very surprised how many people still have septic tanks. Next time she is in the country look at all the houses and figure where their sewer systems are. I use Scott because it has always been best when I lived in a 100 yr old house in town on sewer but old pipes and now on syptic system. I never did care for the fEEl of Charmin and could picture it clogging pipes. Sort of like pituring bat running around my blood vessels when I eat bacon. That is why I eat bacon out, no fat, no calories, right??? Take care.

i understand that for a bathroom to ‘look pretty’ and organized, the TP is on a holder; however, at my house, it sits nicely on a shelf beside. This way, you wrap it around your hand, and count, fell its thickness, and not ‘wad’ it. Works for me – hubby still wads!

Not that it matters but I have found it handier to have the TP coming over the top of the roll. Guess I began doing that when Aurora came out. It was a “lined” paper, white lining, colors on top. So if you wanted the color to show best, you had it over the top. I also use Charmin, find I can use much less to get the job done, and I fold, not wad. One learns thru experience! I’ve always found Scott to be harsh on my skin. I used to use Angel Soft until one day, I realized it was not as wide on the roll. I measured it against Charmin or Northern, and it was ¼ inch smaller, so bye bye, Angel Soft. Price was less, but so was the paper.

That brings up another pet peeve. Smaller bags of sugar, containers of coffee, bacon, whatever…for the same price as it used to be for the larger size. Even canned goods are now 14 oz. rather than 16 oz. Just sayin’. Thanks for a great newsletter and much useful information. Love it!
Blessings!

In a house with five girls plus family and friends, we go through alot of TP. I have found that pressing the roll so that it doesn’t unroll so quickly has been one of the best ways to manage the usage amount. AND really stressing that you don’t need as much as you think you need; say 6-8 sheets vs 15-20. I even experimented with my girls in taking more than was necessary in a totally different situation where it “cost” them going without or having to spend more than they had bargained for. Another great teaching tool is to give them a fair amount of $ for a specific task (meal, craft, etc) then having them make the purchase. If they have left over money they get to keep it, but if they run out then any extra comes out of their money…this works really well showing them just how it adds up or how to limit quantities with many things.

All this talk about clogging the septic….We only flush the paper that really needs to be flushed….If the paper was only used to dry off “peepee” as the kids say, then it goes in the sealed trash container with the baby wipes that cannot be flushed. That gets tossed daily.

We started that when we were staying in a travel trailer and REALLY did not want to deal with a clogged waste hose.

We felt a little strange, until we started attending a little country church on an old septic system that also posts the sweetest embroidered hangings begging the congregation to please place ALL paper products in the wastebaskets to protect the septic against costly repairs.

Around here it is pretty common for public restrooms to have a great deal of paper in the wastebasket too. I guess a lot of us septic using country folk or people coming in from countries without good municipal septic systems are used to tossing the paper in the basket. However, IMHO, if the paper is anything more than just dampened, it needs to be flushed for health reasons!

We live on a lake and have a septic that we had to have replaced last year. Law requires pumping every 2 years. It was OLD (40 years!) and had finally caved in after torrential rains. Let me tell you, it is EXPENSIVE to replace a septic.
BUT…we lived here 18 years with that original system and have ALWAYS put the wet only tp in the wastebasket and flushed
the “other”. No tampons, no excessive tp, just kitchen & shower grey water…used the laundry water to water plants. That system lasted as long as it did because we were careful of what we flushed.
We now have a brand spanking new system and with care it will last another 40 yrs.! We use Angel Soft. I tried using flannel squares for “wet only” a year ago and got lazy washing them. Hubby wouldn’t use them at all.

We try to put wet only paper into the trash. I usually go for the best deal on the paper regardless of the brand. I have really stocked up on the paper about 3 years ago and I am glad I did, because I wasn’t able to find a better deal since then. I got 12 pack double roll for 2.99 each after coupons. I remember, I spent like $70 because I had over 20 same coupons. I still have packages of paper in my garage, under my kids beds, in my closed, my kids closets and in the bathroom cabinet under the sink.

I also haven’t bought any paper towels in over a year. I just use rags for everything and wash it with my white laundry. I have a few rolls stashed and only use it when we have a company. I would get a roll out and put it back after they leave.

I also have a huge stash of feminine hygiene products that I got for free after coupons, register rewards, I only had to pay tax on it. The very recent deal I got was Tena Serenity brand. The penny saver circulars had a $5 off coupon a few weeks ago, and I was able to get more than 30 of them. Even if I would get too old to use them, I got 2 daughters who will need them in a few years.

Oh, and with a Bidet – which are wonderful – you can provide each family member with their own color of small towels to pat dry, and the responsibility to change towels appropriately. Guests may use the fancy TP.

Tossing the toilet paper in the trash is how it is done where we went in Mexico. In Japan, I have seen that they have a wash-and-dry toilet, so you don’t need the towels. Sometimes, I think that would be nice.

Love Charmin mega-rolls! You don’t have to change them so often and they are thick enough when the roll is new to prevent “over-indulging”. We have a septic system and they work fine. I HATE cheap toilet paper.

Here’s what my mom did with three girls in the house to manage toilet paper use (besides counting squares)–she had us use cut-up sheets of newspaper to wrap up our used sanitary supplies and throw them in the trash. No flushing sanitary supplies when you have a septic tank unless you want to have the plumber visit.

I usually wrap my pads in the junk mail paper or the wrapping paper of the next clean pad. After I had my youngest, I had to use a ton of pads for the first 3 weeks or so, I run out of the junk mail paper and asked my husband when he will be in a store to pick up a few weekly store add papers just for that.

I always wondered what pioneers did for toilet paper, like Laura Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie. Did they use leaves when traveling across country in a covered wagon? And what did women do for feminine products centuries ago. Weird thoughts.

Not weird at all Bea I have thought the same thing. Depending on where they lived and period of time many used leaves, corn husks, newspaper, catalogs and even things like straw or grass. They really did keep a Sears catalog in the out house. In some cultures they washed with water and some uses sanded. Now that would be interesting.

As for feminine products they used rags and some poorer women used nothing. I know that is hard for us to even imagine. In some places women weren’t allowed to leave the house or even their room during their period. I think it was in the late 1800’s some nurses came up with the idea to use some of the wool bandages at the hospital and that was the beginning of the first pads being manufactured to sell.

Well, I know that ladies used rags and afterwards, put them into a bucket (of water) with a lid. This kept them wet and for the most part prevented the rags from staining, On wash day, the whole pail full got scrubbed on a washboard and hung out to dry. Thank God, we have the products that we do, these days! Ultra Super absorbent Ultra super thin Maxi Pads and super absorbent tampons! We call the 1800’s and early 1900’s “the good ole days”, but for ladies, it really and truly wasn’t. Girls, these are good days to be a woman!

I remember using rags from an old bed sheet because we didn’t have any feminine products when I was growing up. Then when I moved to USA, I started using the real convenient stuff and never looked back. Even buying the cheapest kind in the dollar store will get you through the few days of bleeding, and even if you buy 2 or 3 pack each month, I am sure one package of 16 would be almost enough for most people. Paying $1 sure beats having to store and wash the stinky(they do get stinky if you wait a few days to wash them) rags and then hang them to dry.

I, too, use the Costco or Kirkland Brand. It lasts longer than any other brand Ive tried, even the very expensive brands. Nothing out-last it. Also, because it breaks down so well, and quickly, we use it in the RV and it saves us even more, as we dont have to use the regular “RV” toilet paper!!!

I read an article in Shop Smart – June issue, which did a cost comparison and the Kirkland brand came out the cheapest and a best buy in terms of quality/cost. I have always used Scott, but am give it a try when my mega-package is empty.

My aunt told me a while ago that if you squeeze the toilet paper you see how much you really get. Some brands you can squeeze down to 1/4 of an inch and other brands you get an entire inch and it’s not the megarolls. Quilted Northern is the only one I can squeeze an inch at my local store.

To figure out which brand/type would be cheapest for our household, I did a little math calculation, a couple of years ago. I picked out a couple of ones, that I sensed were the best buys for us. I opened one package, noted how long it lasted, then divided the price paid by the days this package lasted. This gave me a price per day. I did this with a couple of different brands and types, and came up with the one brand that seems to be the best buy — cheapest per day for our household.

It was interesting to find out that some of the bargain brands are not at all a bargain.

I buy POM from Sam’s club. 40 indiv wrapped rolls for about $18. Lasts my family quite a while… probably 5 months. I’m overdue for a Sam’s club trip though. I had to buy Angel Soft to hold us over until I go later this month.

I hate Charmin. When I visited my parents, I had to change Charmin TP rolls everyday. I use 1000 sheets (Scott or store brand like Ralph’s or Kroger) and change it once every week at my place. I love 1000 sheets!

Alternative: Family Cloth! You can make your own from old shirts and soft rags, it’s reuseable, and save even more by hanging it on the line instead of throwing it in the dryer. For those of you who have cloth diapered, this is no different. I have very sensitive skin and Family Cloth keeps the rashes away; and the wallet a little fatter 😉

My reply to how do you get dry after using a bidet – the same way you get dry after a bath or shower!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A roll of paper towells works too especially for guests but not very frugal.
I have seen many patterns on the web for home made sanitary pads on other frugal sites. Thank goodness I no longer need them. Don’t know if it’s possible to make tampons though.
I too prefer to use original Scott tissue but hated the rolls they produced with out the cardboard center

Like another commenter said, You clog it, you plunge it.
In our home we always used the single ply to prevent clogging because the house was 150 years old (our house was the first house to get indoor plumbing in our town).

We always buy paper products at Sam’s. I recently heard that the Sam’s toilet paper is cheaper, but is high quality. I’ve been loyal to Northern, but tried Sam’s brand, and it is equal in quality. My adult daughter is a Charmin loyalist, but when she tried Sam’s brand, she was impressed.
nancyr

I just bought my first package of Kirkland/Costco T.P. last spring and I am sold. Love the quality, the large rolls, and the price. H have used all kinds of sale brands over the years, but this is my new favourite. I still have much of a package left. By the way, there are countless septic systems, even sewer lagoons still out there. Not everyone is on town water and sewer. Everyone in my small rural community is on a septic system, including us. Many of us did much of the work to install them ourselves,originally, and of course we have to maintain them.

Civil War Nurses noticed that the bandages they used would make great period pads. I read this on a box of maxi pads when I first started using them.
Some women use baby socks as tampons and wash them. Others use rages instead of pads. I understand people soak them in water so they dont stain, but I wouldn’t bother.
It seems to make the most sense to me to weigh tp, purchased the cheapest per pound, and to adjust useage per in accordance with weight.

Ok! here is a little secret I learned when we had to start cutting back. I kept telling my kids and husband to use less and they just kept right on a going.. So, what I did is i almost let them run out of toilet paper.

I said when I handed them the roll that is the last one in the house. Amazing they used less! This trend has continued, when I shop for toilet paper we buy 4 to 8 rolls and I hide at least one from everybody so MOM! doesn’t run out and what they don’t know won’t hurt them. If I am shopping with them then we only buy 4 rolls, and their math is getting better. there are 5 of us so they must figure we better make 4 rolls last.

I also tell them if they are going to insist on using a bunch more than necessary they are going to have to take their money to the store and buy the next one{hubby included}, because I am not going to do it! For some reason this psych! game is working on other stuff too! If they think we are low then they either don’t ask or they make what they got last longer than when I stock up on a ton of stuff.

So I started the best possible at hiding my stashes of reserves and bring them out when the people of my house are all gone!! [if you do this make yourself a secret list!]It is so funny to watch things that we use to just run thru like water last a heck of a lot longer. This works on hubby too! It is so funny!! Some reason it is okay for me to part with my money but they don’t like to part with theirs. I know my oldest child is now getting it he even works his pencils for school right up within two inches of the eraser… it is so funny!!

I keep telling them look if I am going to have to keep wasting my money on these types of things then we don’t have the extra money and time,to do the fun stuff.. Figure out where you can to make things last longer and we will be able to do or have the extras you want to do. Oh and by the way I like the 1000 flushes at Aldi and the toilet paper 2000 flushes at Meijer. we have an old house and toilet clogs, are so wonderful.. A couple squirts of dawn dish soap will let sit for 5 to 10 minutes(longer if possible) will also unclog a toilet.

I’m one of those country septic people. No garbage disposal in the sink either. Scrape go in a bucket to the chickens. I love my cloth wipes for wet wiping–an 18 pack of white wash cloths from Wally’s for $4.00. Washed once a week and hung on the line to dry. I did a demo for my husband’s son after several times of over flowing the toilet with big wads of TP. I put 2 strips of jam on the table- gave him a wadded rag and me a folded one. He smeared jam all over. I wiped the jam, folded the rag, wiped again and a 3rd time. Mine was clean his jam was all over and he couldn’t reuse the rag. His comment “good visual.” He hasn’t over flowed the toilet since. I’m thinking he on longer wads.

That is seriously HILARIOUS!!! I think I’m gonna try that trick with my MOM. She’s a “wadder” and pretty much everyone else in the family folds/wraps. My parents aren’t the “bathroom discussion” types, so it was pretty funny a few years ago when my nieces (who think bathroom humor is the funniest thing ever) got us all involved in a “wad vs wrap” discussion. When my mom said “I wad.” my dad said, “I’ve been married to that woman for over 30 years… I can’t believe she’s a wadder!” lol

I know this is an older thread but I thought on re reading that you were looking for substitutes for t/p Jill and remembered squares of newspaper from the war years when we had an outhouse.
As far as drying off after using a bidet, personal towels, paper towels or a hair dryer work fine. My husband and I have separate bathrooms and a roll of original Scotts lasts me two weeks

Growing up, we girls always used tp to wrap used sanitary products. After marriage I realized this was a big waste. Why pay for something to throw away? Why not use something that was already going in the garbage? Why not wrap in newspaper? This was 70’s before recycling It saved a lot of tp:)

I’ve tried Scott and Angel Soft and dislike both and find that they disappear very quickly. Our tp of choice is Cottonelle. It’s not powdery like Charmin and the ridges seem to assist with the cleaning. I like that with the thicker tp people find they can’t use it very well if they wad it or take too much. My problem is getting my boys to use it. 😛

I totally agree with the Charmin Mega rolls. I drove myself crazy trying all the “Bargain” brands that were either too thin or too hard, some even as rough as newspaper. I also hate to change the rolls so often….so Mega Charmin, on sale and with a coupon so far is the best deal. Walmart here in Michigan 6 mega for %6.97. I watch for the Spartan stores sales and you can pick it up there about once every six weeks for 2/$11.

Funny story…when my son was about 4 years old, I went into the bathroom to find almost a full roll of expensive TP on the floor. He thought it was fun to unroll it. My brother-in-law was at the house at the time, and I came out of the bathroom, getting on to my son about wasting the “company” toilet paper. My B-I-L laughed hysterically and said, “What do you mean ‘company’ toilet paper?” I told him I use cheaper TP when it’s just us, but put out expensive TP when company is in town. For my birthday that year, he bought me a 36 roll package from Sam’s Club of Charmin. Another time when he was here for a cookout, my husband asked which paper plates to put out. You guessed it…Company paper plates! Ha!

Trackbacks

[…] How To Save Money On Toilet Paper – Save Money And Get … – How To Save Money On Toilet Paper. From: Dana. I am having a really hard time figuring out how to calculate the best buy on toilet paper. Do you have any …… […]

[…] How To Save Money On Toilet Paper – Save Money And … – How To Save Money On Toilet Paper. From: Dana. I am having a really hard time figuring out how to calculate the best buy on toilet paper. Do you have any …… […]